Early outcomes of elective surgery for colon cancer with preoperative mechanical bowel preparation: a randomized clinical trial / 南方医科大学学报

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To compared the early outcomes of patients undergoing elective surgeries for colon cancer with and without preoperative mechanical bowel preparation.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Between July, 2014 and February, 2016, patients undergoing elective surgery for colon cancer with primary anastomosis were randomly assigned into control group with mechanical bowel preparation 12 h before surgery and treatment group without mechanical bowel preparation. Baseline data collection was completed within 12 h after the operation. The levels of hemoglobin, total protein, albumin, prealbumin and albumin<globulin ratio of the patients were recorded at 1 day before surgery and 1 day and 5 days after the surgery. The patients were followed up till 30 days after the surgeries and the complications were recorded.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Seventy-six patients were assigned in the treatment group and 72 in the control group. Significant differences were found in the incidence of wound infection and intra-abdominal infection (P<0.05) but not in that of anastomotic leakage or early postoperative bowel obstruction (P>0.05) between the two 2 groups. The first flatus time (P=0.03) and prealbumin level on the first postoperative day (P=0.03) differed significantly between the two groups, but the operation time was similar between them (P=0.06).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>In patients undergoing elective surgeries for colon cancer, preoperative mechanical bowel preparation is associated with increased postoperative complications, delayed recovery of intestinal motility and poorer nutrition status early after the operation.</p>